Daughters of Time
by Victoria MD
Summary: Please R&R! It is the twenty second century, and the next Dark Lord is at his height of power. When it becomes clear he has to kill four specific infants to destroy the planet, the girls are scattered through time to save their lives... and the world.
1. Prologue

_Author's Notes:_ Hi! This is my first fanfic and if you got here to read it, thank you so much! Please review, your feedback is much appreciated! I'll be glad with just an 'I like it' if you don't feel like writing a long review. Thanks again!

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_Daughters of Time_

_Prologue_

_Hogwarts, October 31, 2187_

Trembling, there they stood – four families, about to say goodbye to their firstborn daughters. The small girls were only a few days old, and were quivering in their blankets. One of them cried out, as if she knew what was waiting for her. The grown-ups waited, looking at the old man in their midst who was about to speak.

He rubbed his hands together as a harsh, cutting wind blew through the small group. They were all standing in the remains of what once had been Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. The castle had been reduced to ruins by the current Dark Lord's last attack on it. That had been three years ago. Most students and teachers had died, brutally murdered by the attackers or killed by the falling stones.

The old magic that had stayed in the place swirled around the huddle in the middle. The adults shivered again, and their daughters all started to cry. One of the women joined them, quietly letting her tears stream down her cheeks.

After the babies' cries had been subsided, the old man coughed and started speaking. "We are here… to say goodbye… to these four girls." His voice was wheezy, and was barely heard through the gales of wind still rushing over the grounds. A different woman started sniffling. The man continued. "They are sought after by the Dark Lord… and will he succeed in destroying them, the world's balance will be destroyed with them, for they are the elements. That will leave Him free to rule over everything… Please, for the future of this world…" He coughed again. "Please, hand over your children, to give them and their peers a better future."

The woman holding her red-haired baby spoke up. "Is there really nothing else we could do? Anything?

The man next to her smiled cynically. "We've already been through this. There's nothing else, sweetheart."

In her green blanket, their daughter squirmed, blinking up at her mother with large blue eyes. The woman's lower lip trembled as she tucked the blanket tighter around her.

The old man held up four thin, golden necklaces. Each of them had a different coloured pendant of an hourglass hanging at the end, and everybody knew they were Time-Turners, meant to send their daughter into another time and age.

"Each of the girls will have one of these," the old man spoke again. "They will all be sent to different times, where I will be sure they'll be taken care of. If this experiment goes right, they'll be scattered through time, and the Dark Lord will no longer be able to reach them." He took a deep, ragged breath of air. "Daughter of Earth, please come forward."

The couple holding a small, blonde child stepped forward, and the old man carefully slipped the green Time-Turner around her little neck. "There," he said, then nodded. "You can take your place again."

The wind howled once more as they shuffled back, making room for the next couple. The father asked in a small voice: "Do you think they'll survive, sir?"

"I'm not sure," the old man admitted, but then he frowned. "You cannot retreat any longer. You MUST do this."

The father nodded and licked his lips, but spoke no more.

"Daughter of Fire," the old man rasped, "go on."

With one last exchanged look, the parents of the red-haired girl approached and bared her neck. The necklace with the red pendant was slipped on without a fuss and the mother and father quickly retreated again. The remaining couples looked uncomfortable and held their daughters closer, waiting for the next one to be called.

After a few quiet seconds, the old man said: "Daughter of Air."

The mother attempted to smile as the brought him her child. "Let's hope she won't be an airhead, right sir?"

He grunted and put the lilac Time-Turner around her daughter's neck. The father curiously looked at the necklace. "Do the colours have any significance, sir?"

"Yes, I wondered too," his wife added, "I thought they'd get the colours of the Houses…"

"How am I supposed to know in which House your daughter will be?" the old man countered grumpily. "I've had these things for ages; they've been passed down for centuries in my family until the prophecy's children were born. They are the destined children; I have to give them the pendants. I'm sorry, but I know nothing more than is told me."

She took a deep breath, breaking the tension in the air. "Sorry for asking."

The old man gestured for her and her husband to go back again. When they had, he called forward the last girl. "Daughter of Water."

The last couple came to collect their daughter's necklace as a very strong gust of wind nearly made everyone lose their footing. Her mother started crying again as the old man secured the necklace with a brief touch of his wand. She pressed her daughter's dark head to her cheek, letting the tears trickle into the girl's black hair. Her husband led her back to their place in the circle, wrapping his arm tightly around her.

Drops of rain started to fall, and the entire group apprehensively looked up. The Dark Lord's attacks were known for beginning with ominous thunderstorms, and indeed, an ill-omened dark sky was approaching from the south.

"Quickly," the old man breathed, "put them on the altar. No fooling around now."

The adults mingled a bit, all trying to give their daughter the best place on the large slab of stone that had been dubbed the altar. After several minutes, the babies were neatly aligned. Different girls with the same mission. Everyone was unsure whether to look at the children or at the sky as the thunderstorm rapidly approached.

"We have to complete the ceremony fast if we want to get out alive," the black-haired daughter's father said, his voice unsteady.

"No," the old man said sharply. "We can't rush. If need be, we all die, but the girls have to get out of here alive and well before He arrives. We have to do this right the first time. He knows what we're doing."

The silence was enough acceptance the old man needed, and he quickly drew his wand. "Everyone, get out your wands. We're going to activate the Time-Turners."

All of them shuffled together into a circle around the girls and held the points of their wands together above them. They chanted the spell, voices quivering but resolved, and slowly a pure white light began to glow in the centre.

The thunderstorm was now above their heads, and thick raindrops steadily made their way down their faces. Two of the women started to choke up, but they kept their wand steady, and gradually their daughters began to glow too.

"Almost there," the old man whispered.

A flash of lightning crashed down, immediately followed by a clap of thunder. A woman screamed, and a baby started wailing again.

"Now!" the old man screamed suddenly, and all adults pulled their wand away except for the man. He furiously yelled the incantation each of them had been waiting for, and then there was another flash of lightning, so bright everyone had to shield their eyes. Then there was a soft rush of wind, and by the time the parents could look again, the girls were gone.

The thunderstorm finally rose in earnest, and nobody could hold their ground as the squalls hurled them off their feet. Thunderbolt after thunderbolt followed, and they went deaf from all the noise the storm caused.

"Apparate!" one of the men screamed.

"You can't," a loud and booming voice said, and then the laughing started, cold and evil, and in the panic everybody lost each other in an attempt to get away. "Don't bother," the voice murmured. "You're dead, anyway." And with one last flash of green lightning, they were.

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	2. Chapter 1: Daughter of Fire

_Author's Notes:_ Thank you for the review, **Tickle Monster**! This might turn into a long story. If you keep reviewing. ;) No nonsense, I have plans for this story, so keep tuned.

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_Daughters of Time_

_Chapter One – Daughter of Fire_

_Hogwarts, September 2, 968_

"Finally," Cassie murmured, kneeling down next to a rather innocent looking flower. It moved a little in the wind, and Cassie carefully cupped her hand around the petals, drawing her wand. "There you go," she whispered, digging through the earth at the base of the plant with her wand. "Just a bit –"

The plant burst into flames.

Cassie yelped and was quick to distinguish the small fire, but the damage had been done. All that was left of the flower was a pile of smoking ashes.

She looked around her, then cursed out loud. Helga was already hurrying her way. It seemed that she always knew when her plants got hurt, like some strange instinct. Cassie innocently shoved her wand into her pocket again, but Helga had seen it and she certainly didn't look amused.

"Oh, girl, look what you've done," she sighed as she arrived at the scene. "I told you not to handle plants, honey, you shouldn't disregard my advice."

Cassie lowered her gaze to the ground. "I'm sorry, Helga."

"That's all right, darling. Now go on inside, or you'll miss dinner." Helga knelt down at the poor plant, quickly muttering spells under her breath.

Cassie nodded and made her way to the castle. She had been behind the greenhouses, trying to find a normal and unimportant flower to practice on. After she'd set flame to one of Helga's favourite greenhouses, she'd been banned from them. It was hardly fair, Cassie thought, especially since Helga was supposed to be reasonable. It wasn't like she could help it. Even now, when she walked through the corridors, the candles just lit when she approached, and extinguished when she passed.

As Cassie turned into the Great Hall, she came face to face with a handsome young man, who smiled at her. His hair was a much darker red than hers, nearly the colour auburn. Cassie's hair was almost the opposite, really – it was the colour of fire, with all shades of red and orange hidden in it. In the right light, one could even see a few hints of gold. It reached just past her shoulders in a thick mass of curls, and it was her pride and joy, especially since she was the only red-haired female in the entire castle and had been for sixteen years now.

The red-haired man – was he a man? He was only a year older than she – smiled again as she looked up at him, flushing a little. After a few seconds, she inclined her head. "Hello, Augustus. How are you?"

"Fine as ever, Cassiopeia," he said, winking. Then he turned more serious. "My father is looking for you. He is in his office."

"Oh." Godric was looking for her? Cassie frowned. "Why?"

Augustus shrugged. "I don't know, but you should hurry. He isn't the most patient man, as you know. I'll save you some dinner, if you like."

"You're too kind," Cassie said. "I'll see you later, then."

"Yes. Later."

She watched him leave, sighing to herself.

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She knocked on the door of Godric's office, seven floors up. It opened immediately as soon as her knuckles hit the wood, and Cassie shuffled in. She'd lived in Hogwarts for sixteen years now, but meeting Godric still made her nervous, even if he was perfectly nice to everyone.

He was sitting behind his desk, and looked up as she entered. He smiled warmly. "Ah, Cassiopeia. I'm glad you were able to make it."

"Of course, sir," Cassie said stiffly, waiting to be given permission to sit down. Godric waved at the chair in front of him, looking affectionately at her.

"Sweetheart, you don't need my consent. Sit down, sit down."

Cassie sat down and waited for Godric to tell what she was here for. When he didn't speak, but simply kept looking at her, she hesitantly raised her voice.

"What did you call me for, sir?"

Godric sighed and leaned over his desk towards her. "Could you show me your pendant, please?"

Her heart leapt and she hastily took the small, red hourglass from under her robes, where it had been ever since she could remember. She held it in her hand so Godric could see. "Have you found out what it is, sir?" Her heart settled down into its usual spot again when Godric shook his head.

"No, I'm afraid not. I've been researching it more, though. It's just…" He buried his hands in his hair. "I just want to give you answers. I have none, and I can't seem to find any! Cassiopeia, you know you are one big mystery to all of us."

Cassie nodded, licking her lips. "I know, sir."

Godric stood up, rubbing his hand along his outgrowing red stubble. "I still remember when I found you, you know."

Cassie sat back in her chair. This was the story he liked to tell her the most. She let him.

He started pacing. "It was the very end of October. I had been studying in the Forest, discovering all kinds of magical creatures. When it started raining, I went back to the castle. Salazar, Rowena, Helga and I had just started up the school two years ago, so I couldn't afford to stay out too long anyway. And I had a wife and son to go back to."

Bronwyn and Augustus, Cassie thought. She moved to the tip of her seat. She liked the next part the most.

"And then I heard crying. First I thought it was Gus and panicked. However, when I followed the sound, I found a little baby wrapped tight in a green blanket, with a thin golden chain around her neck. That was you. I handed you over to Rowena, as Helga and I already had our own children to look out for and Salazar didn't want one. Yet, anyway."

Cassie smiled indulgently. She was glad that Rowena had raised her, and not Salazar, even though he was hysterically funny at times.

"She named you after Cassiopeia, the constellation she was studying. And never one to leave things half done, she raised you, too. Sometimes the rest of us worried about you because you were often coped up in the library with her, but you never seemed to mind.

The most intriguing thing about you was of course where you came from and what you were doing here. We all suspected it had to do with the pendant on your necklace, because we traced a powerful spell around it. It was impossible to figure out and break it, though; it was too complex. We couldn't remove the necklace, either. We concluded the necklace was inextricably bound up with you – we just couldn't figure out the connection."

Cassie's hand clasped the small pendant. It was practically part of her life, and she'd rather not have Godric or anyone else break the spell that kept it around her neck. It would feel too strange. Godric continued, standing still in front of her.

"And then… your powers started showing up. Everything suddenly caught fire around you. Food burned when you touched it, plants turned into a crisp at contact, candles flared up in your presence and you could get water to boil in less than ten seconds. Everyone, especially Helga, was concerned, but Rowena disregarded it all as accidental magic. And who were we to argue with her?" Godric shook his head. "Nobody knew what to think."

"Then I entered Hogwarts," Cassie added, a smile lighting up her finely-boned face.

"Yes," Godric said, grinning back at her. "And you got into my House. I admit – I had not foreseen that. I thought you would have gotten into Rowena's."

"Everyone did," Cassie stated. "It was fabulous."

Godric nodded, his eyes gleaming with memories. "Yes, yes, it was indeed fabulous. Rowena insisted for weeks that the Sorting Hat had made a mistake. _My_ hat!" He pointed at the top of a cabinet, where the Sorting Hat proudly stood, the finest hat in the castle. "For Merlin's sake, she had charmed it herself! That was the closest she ever got to admitting a mistake."

Cassie giggled and sat up in her chair. "But my powers kept acting up, right?"

Godric sighed, rubbing his chin again. "Yes, they did. If it was accidental magic, it should have stopped as soon as you got your wand and learned how to control it. However, that was not the case. To be completely honest, I'm not sure why you haven't managed to burn down the castle yet." He laughed, but it was clear to Cassie that he was being quite serious.

She glanced away. "I'm sorry I cannot control my powers, sir."

"I know you are, Cassiopeia, I know. You could do very useful things, if you knew what caused the element of fire to appear all around you." He sat down at his desk again, solemnly holding her gaze. "I think, and I'm relatively sure I'm right, that it is connected to the pendant around your neck."

Cassie rubbed a smudge off the ruby hourglass. "Gryffindor is the House of Fire, isn't it, sir?"

Godric laughed, and this time it was genuine. "Yes, but not all my students can truly control it like you!"

"I just said I couldn't," Cassie mumbled confused, losing track of where Godric was going with his conversation.

"Ah, yes, but I meant that your powers are truly unique, Cassiopeia. I've never met anyone with powers like yours, and I've met a lot of extraordinary people, I assure you." He reached over and patted her on the shoulder. "Don't see them as a curse, sweetheart."

"I don't," Cassie said.

"Good. Now I'm going to do more research on that pendant of yours. I've found some rather promising documents. As soon as I find anything you'll be the first to know."

She knew a dismissal when she heard one. She stood up. In fact, she was rather eager to leave. "Thanks for your time, sir."

"Oh, no matter. I called you here after all." Godric winked and waved his wand, abruptly opening his office door. Cassie hurried out, still clutching the pendant around her neck. She suddenly realised she was quite hungry. Remembering that Augustus had promised to save her some dinner, she made her way to the Gryffindor common room, her footsteps echoing in the hallways.

When she crept through the portrait hole, the chatter of the rest of the Gryffindor students reached her ears. Some people glanced her way, but most resumed talking. A few even shuffled away from her as she passed. Cassie assumed it was because she'd set them on fire before. That had been completely unintentional, but none of them had believed her.

Augustus was sitting on the long red couch in front of the fire, holding a small package wrapped in napkins in his lap. Cassie sat down next to him, looking at her knees. Like with Godric, she felt a bit uncomfortable in his presence. Maybe it was genetic.

"Here," he said, placing the package on her knees. "I'm sorry if it's too little – I could always go down to the kitchens and get some more."

"N-no, that's okay," Cassie mumbled, quickly unwrapping her food. "Thank you." Augustus had taken some stew for her in a small bowl, with a few pieces of bread on the side. She quietly started eating.

After a while, she became aware of Augustus staring at her. She paused, holding her bread a fraction of an inch above the stew. Cassie awkwardly moved a bit to the side, which did nothing to retract his gaze. Finally, she asked in a tiny voice: "Can I help you, Augustus?"

That did the trick. He quickly looked away. "I'm sorry, Cassiopeia. I was rude."

The rest of her meal was spent in an awkward silence, and Cassie was swift to finish. When she had wiped her mouth with the napkin and placed it all on top of he table in front of her, Augustus gallantly stood up and took it. "I'll bring it back to the kitchen."

"All – all right." Cassie watched his retreating back go out of the common room, sighed, and stood up again. She flattened her robes and walked up the stairs to the girls' dormitories, where most of her classmates would already be.

Indeed, of the ten girls, eight were already there, Cassie now included. She moved over to her bed, neatly avoiding the rubbish that was scattered over the floor. Her bed was right next to a window with a beautiful view of the grounds. She could see part of the lake, and the rest was lush grass, still there after a beautiful summer. Four boys were throwing with a round object among themselves , and she saw Salazar walking out onto the grounds with a thick broomstick in his hand. He would probably go to Hogsmeade. Cassie winced as she saw him mount it – brooms definitely weren't comfy things to sit on.

She turned around, observing everybody in the room. Two girls were sitting on a bed opposite of Cassie's, talking quietly. Four others were sitting together on the floor near the end of the dormitory, books strewn around them that indicated they were studying. And the last girl was in the bed next to Cassie's, reading a book. It was one of Cassie's best friends, Sarah Thatcher, and they both smiled when their eyes met.

"What took you?" Sarah whispered.

"Godric wanted to see me," Cassie said, retrieving her nightdress from her trunk. It was silly, really, to have a trunk in a place she technically lived, but she had to keep her possessions somewhere. "Could you help me undo my robes?"

Sarah nodded and climbed out of bed. She undid the tight corset that was part of every girl's uniform, and tears jumped into Cassie's eyes when she accidentally pulled it a bit tighter, but it worked. They both slipped into their own beds, Sarah to continue reading, and Cassie to change into the nightclothes.

When she emerged, pulling aside the curtain of her four-poster, Sarah asked: "What did he want to see you for?"

"Something about my pendant," Cassie said, wrapping her bedspread around her. "He told me about the first time he saw me again."

Sarah giggled. "And, did he find something out?"

Cassie shook her head, and Sarah's face fell.

"Oh, Cassie, I'm sorry. I know you want to find out too."

"It's just…" Cassie sighed frustrated and turned on her back. "I mean, I want to know where I came from! I want to know who my real parents are, I want to know what this pendant is doing around my neck and I want to know what my deal with fire is." She miserably stared at her canopy. "And I don't know anything."

"Questions are a burden to others," Sarah said softly, "and answers are a prison to oneself. Cassie, you might not be happy with the answers you get. Ignorance really is bliss, sometimes. I know for sure you will get your answers someday, but enjoy the days you don't, okay?"

Cassie knew Sarah was right, but that hardly made it any easier. She unexpectedly yawned and clapped her hand in front of her mouth. Waiting had never been her forte, but she had been waiting for these answers nearly seventeen years – perhaps she could wait a little while longer. Godric and Rowena had been researching her past for practically as long as she lived. They must be pretty close to finding out the truth. Cassie sighed and took the edge of her curtain in her hand. "Night, Sarah."

Her friend laughed. "Cassie, it's just past eight."

"I'm tired," Cassie explained, and tugged on the curtain to close it, which prompted darkness to fall around her. She settled in a comfortable position and brought her hand up to her breastbone, clenching the pendant tightly. One day, she'd find out what it meant.

A wave of content washed over her, and for a moment, all the candles in the castle flared up.

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